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Lithium-induced accentuation of extrapyramidal symptoms in individuals with Alzheimer's disease
Kelwala S; Pomara N; Stanley M; Sitaram N; Gershon S
Lithium treatment in 9 elderly individuals with Alzheimer's disease led to a marked accentuation of extra-pyramidal symptoms (EPS) in 5 of 6 patients with preexisting EPS. EPS scores significantly correlated with plasma and RBC lithium levels. Lithium treatment had no such effects in the 3 patients without preexisting extrapyramidal symptoms
PMID: 6430878
ISSN: 0160-6689
CID: 23718
Myalgia and elevation in muscle creatine phosphokinase during zimelidine treatment [Case Report]
Pomara N; Coffman KL; Bush DF; Gershon S
The authors report a case involving a 65-year-old woman with DSM-III criteria for major unipolar depression in whom the administration of zimelidine, a potent and selective 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor, led to the development of a hypersensitivity reaction characterized by a severe headache, low grade fever, abnormal liver enzymes, and generalized myalgia 10 days after initiation of treatment. The most novel aspect of this hypersensitivity reaction to zimelidine was the development of abnormalities in muscle creatine phosphokinase in conjunction with the myalgia
PMID: 6236235
ISSN: 0271-0749
CID: 23719
Suicidal behavior: a neglected issue in DSM-III [Letter]
Pomara N
PMID: 6725224
ISSN: 0160-6689
CID: 23720
Decay in plasma lithium and normalization in red blood cell choline following cessation of lithium treatment in two elderly individuals with Alzheimer-type dementia
Pomara N; Block R; Domino EF; Gershon S
PMID: 6430359
ISSN: 0006-3223
CID: 23721
Lithium-induced increases in red blood cell choline and memory performance in Alzheimer-type dementia
Brinkman SD; Pomara N; Barnett N; Block R; Domino EF; Gershon S
To investigate the relationship between RBC choline and memory in Alzheimer-type senile dementia (SDAT), lithium carbonate was administered to 14 SDAT patients in doses of 400-600 mg/day for 5 weeks. A battery of memory tests was administered at baseline and at weekly intervals. Five patients with serum concentrations below 0.6 meq/liter developed neurotoxicity and were dropped from further analysis. For the remaining patients, Li+ with mean serum concentrations up to 0.6 meq/liter did not alter memory scores significantly. The dramatic increases in RBC choline during the study, however, suggest that RBC choline is not correlated with memory functioning in SDAT
PMID: 6424733
ISSN: 0006-3223
CID: 23722
Diazepam impairs performance in normal elderly subjects
Pomara N; Stanley B; Block R; Guido J; Stanley M; Greenblatt DJ; Newton RE; Gershon S
PMID: 6718638
ISSN: 0048-5764
CID: 23723
Adverse effects of single therapeutic doses of diazepam on performance in normal geriatric subjects: relationship to plasma concentrations
Pomara N; Stanley B; Block R; Guido J; Russ D; Berchou R; Stanley M; Greenblatt DJ; Newton RE; Gershon S
Elderly normal volunteers (N = 12, mean age 70.4 years) were administered placebo or diazepam 2.5, 5, 10 mg in four consecutive sessions separated by at least a 1-week interval. Memory and psychomotor performance and plasma diazepam concentrations were assessed at baseline and at 1 and 3 h following drug administration. Significant impairments were found in response to all doses of diazepam. The maximum impairment occurred at 1 h, which coincided with the highest plasma concentration of the drug
PMID: 6440180
ISSN: 0033-3158
CID: 23724
Prediction of serum cortisol response to dexamethasone in normal volunteers: a multivariate approach
Branconnier RJ; Oxenkrug GF; McIntyre I; Pomara N; Harto NE; Gershon S
Dexamethasone (DEX, 0.5 mg orally at 11 PM) challenge was used for the assessment of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in 20 normal volunteers. Age and pre-DEX serum cortisol levels were thee evaluated as predictors of postDEX serum cortisol levels using step-wise multiple regression analysis. Both age and preDEX serum cortisol levels were significant predictors of postDEX serum cortisol levels. It is suggested that the adjustment for age and preDEX serum cortisol level could be useful for the interpretation of abnormal postDEX levels
PMID: 6438689
ISSN: 0033-3158
CID: 23725
Combined piracetam and cholinergic precursor treatment for primary degenerative dementia
Pomara N; Block R; Moore N; Rhiew HB; Berchou R; Stanley M; Gershon S
ORIGINAL:0004208
ISSN: 0305-6481
CID: 23737
Russell's revised Wechsler Memory Scale in the evaluation of dementia
Brinkman SD; Largen JW Jr; Gerganoff S; Pomara N
Matched 31 elderly normals and 25 patients with suspected Alzheimer's disease for age and education and administered the Revised Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-R). The patient group performed significantly less well than the control group on all WMS-R subtests. A bimodal distribution of Percent Retained scores was noted in the patient group, but not in the control group. Results are discussed with respect to the clinical utility of the WMS-R as a memory screening procedure
PMID: 6662957
ISSN: 0021-9762
CID: 23726